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Gandaroof
Gandaroof is a Non-Playable Character in Breath of Fire II. He is a Grassman who has reached maturity, becoming one of the Great Wise Trees. Role in Breath of Fire II After the party rescues the grassman Spar from the demon who had captured him, he suggests that they visit the Great Wise Tree, Gandaroof, who he believes can explain why the demons are appearing. The party agrees and Spar leads them through the Sea of Trees to the grove that serves as Gandaroof's home. However, when they arrive, they learn that Gandaroof's mind has become infested by the demon Aruhamel, causing rapid memory loss. The party then goes on a mission to Tunlan in order to gain access to the Therapy Pillow, which allows them to enter Gandaroof's subsconscious. While in Gandaroof's mind, they party can recruit the Barose -- who describes himself as Gandraroof's magician -- as one of Township's citizens. They eventually locate and defeat Aruhamel, who is revealed to be the same demon that caused the citizens of Gate to forget about Ryu's family following their mysterious disappearance. After Aruhamel is defeated, Gandaroof reveals that he met the Dragon Clan when he was younger, and tells the party what he knows about the appearance of the demons. He ultimately advises them to travel south toward FarmTown and CotLnd so that they can meet the Resistance. Appearance Gandaroof is a massive deciduous tree who was the ability to form a human-like face when necessary in order to facilitate speech. His appearance is very similar to the character of Old Man Willow from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings novels, from which the character takes his name. Personality Although once regarded as a great sage, Gandaroof's mind has been severely damaged by the demon Aruhamel. As a result he often second guesses himself and confuses his speech. At one point he confides that he worries is experiencing the onset of senility. He is very courteous to the party and grateful for their efforts to save him from Aruhamel's influence. Etymology Gandaroof's Japanese name literally translates to Gandalf. This name is of norse origin and is comprised of the words gandr (magic staff) and álfr (elf), thus literally translating to "elf of the magic staff." It was originally used to describe a dwarf in the Poetic Edda of Norse mythology. It was later used as a name of one of the Norse kings in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heimskringla Heimskringla]. The name gained much broader recognition when it was used by J.R.R. Tolkien as the name of the central wizard figure in his fantasy series, The Lord of The Rings. Gandaroof's physical appearance closely mirrors that of another of Tolkien's characters, Old Man Willow. The Breath of Fire II development team used several other character names that are allusions to popular fantasy novels of this same era, so it is possible that their usage of Gandalf is a reference to Tolkien's work. Category:Breath of Fire II Non-Playable Characters Category:Breath of Fire II Grassmen Category:Characters Category:Non-Playable Characters Category:Grassmen Category:Sages Category:Old Wise Trees Category:Sea of Trees Residents